Word of the Day

Saturday, May 17, 2014

soothsay

\SOOTH-sey\ , verb;

to foretell events; predict.

Definition of soothsay|See synonyms|Comment on today's word|Suggest tomorrow's word

Quotes:

Yes, the blind often have an inward seeing eye and they can see things we cannot and their blindness is even a power to them to that other people fear them for it. This maid might be taught to soothsay or some such thing.

-- Pearl S. Buck, The Mother, 1933

Sad that her sons did seek a foreign grave/ (For, Fate's, or Fortune's drifts none can soothsay, /Honour and misery have one face and way)

-- John Donne, "The Storm," 1597

Origin:

Soothsay is a back formation of the word soothsayer, which means “a person who can foretell future events.” The term sooth meaning “truth” has been in English since before 900

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